Going green is not yet a mainstream consumer concern--but it can still be a profitable niche market for entrepreneurs, according to “Going Green,” a recent Yankelovich survey.

Only 34 percent of consumers feel much more concerned about environmental issues today than they did a year ago, the survey reveals. And less than one-quarter of consumers believe they can make a difference when it comes to the environment. The survey, which queried 2,763 consumers over age 16, is the first to examine how much consumers care about green issues.

However, even if the environment is not a mainstream consumer concern, it does represent a niche opportunity in the marketplace, according to Yankelovich President J. Walk Smith. Noting that 30 million Americans are "strongly concerned" about the environment, he encourages companies to highlight the greenness of their products.

The survey goes on to suggest that it is possible to change consumers' behavior so that the green attributes of a product become a key feature in the buying decision.

"Where companies are currently falling short with their green marketing strategy is that they're failing to establish a personal connection with the consumer. In other words, consumers currently have no knowledge of what green means or has to offer to them," Smith says.

adapted from an article by Eve Gumpel